Premium
Topical Problems in the Biosynthesis of Red Blood Pigment
Author(s) -
Franck Burchard
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition in english
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 0570-0833
DOI - 10.1002/anie.198203431
Subject(s) - pigment , biosynthesis , heme , porphyria , in vivo , chemistry , biochemistry , uroporphyrinogen iii decarboxylase , biology , enzyme , endocrinology , organic chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
Uroporphyrinogen III plays a key role in the biosynthesis of heme, the red pigment of blood. In vivo studies with specifically 14 C‐ and 3 H‐labeled precursors have revealed that the formation uroporphyrinogen III in the organism follows several primary and subsidiary pathways. Model experiments on the pattern of biosynthesis have led to simple and effective methods of synthesizing uroporphyrin analogs and have shown that their production is strongly favored thermodynamically. The biologically porphyrins important thus available permit a mechanistic explanation of the light‐induced dermatoses in porphyria diseases and suggest promising medical applications in diagnosis and therapy.